The present invention generally relates to an apparatus, a system and a method for monitoring fluid flows and/or filter conditions and/or for distributing a single fluid. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus, a system and a method for monitoring fluid flows, fluid conditions and/or filter conditions via a sensor attached to one or more filter inlets of a reservoir. An interior of the reservoir may be partitioned into a first volume and/or a second volume. The sensor may detect and/or may determine fluid flows and/or conditions of a single fluid in and/or a filter condition of the filter inlets. The single fluid may be distributed from the first volume and/or from the second volume of the reservoir via one or more outlet ports and/or one or more drains. The single fluid may supply and/or may maintain fluid requirements of one or more hydraulic systems.
It is, of course, generally known that a vehicle hydraulic system has one or more fluids stored in one or more reservoirs to supply and/or to maintain fluid requirements of one or more hydraulic systems of the vehicle. Dirt, dust, moisture and/or contaminants from an environment that is exterior to the hydraulic systems may cause contamination and/or incursion of dirt, dust and/or moisture into the hydraulic systems. As a result, a fluid filtration must be integrated into the hydraulic system to prevent degradation and/or deterioration of the hydraulic system and/or the one or more fluids from the contamination.
Each of the hydraulic systems has an independent reservoir which may maintain and/or may monitor the fluids of each of the hydraulic systems. As a result, each of the hydraulic systems is limited to qualities of the fluid available within each of the hydraulic systems. Each of the hydraulic systems requires a cooling system and/or a sensor to monitor and/or to maintain a fluid condition in and/or a temperature of the fluid in each of the hydraulic systems. As a result, a complexity of the vehicle may be increased based on the cooling systems and/or the sensors of each of the hydraulic systems.
A need, therefore, exists for an apparatus, a system and a method for monitoring fluid flows and/or filter conditions and/or for distributing a single fluid. Further, a need exists for an apparatus, a system and a method for monitoring fluid flows, fluid conditions and/or filter conditions which may have one or more filtered inlets to remove dirt, dust, moisture and/or contaminates from a single fluid being received by the filtered inlets. Still further, a need exists for an apparatus, a system and a method for monitoring fluid flows and/or filter conditions which may have a sensor connected to one or more filter inlets to monitor, to maintain and/or to determine fluid flows and/or fluid conditions of a single fluid in and/or filter conditions of one or more filter inlets. Moreover, a need exists for an apparatus, a system and a method for monitoring fluid flows and/or filter conditions which may have a reservoir with a first volume, a second volume and/or one or more outlet ports to prioritize a distribution of a single fluid from the reservoir to one or more hydraulic systems. Furthermore, a need exists for an apparatus, a system and a method for monitoring fluid flows and/or filter conditions which may have a single fluid fill point, a common reservoir check point and an electronic level monitor to minimize opportunities for contamination and simplify maintenance of the apparatus and the system.